Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid faces rare pressure early in the NHL playoffs after a quiet start against the Anaheim Ducks. Through two games in the Western Conference First Round, the league’s top scorer has yet to register a point and holds a minus-2 rating.
The slowdown stands out given McDavid’s dominant regular season. He finished with 138 points and won another scoring title. Against Anaheim during the season, he produced seven points in three games, including two goals. That sharp contrast has drawn attention as the series shifts to Game 3.
Speaking on The Jason Gregor Show, host Jason Gregor said McDavid appears to be pressing too much. He pointed to comments from head coach Kris Knoblauch while explaining the situation.
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“Connor McDavid, if you watched the game last night, he’s – And the coach said it afterwards, ‘Hey, you know what? He’s putting too much pressure on himself.’ And, like, what else are you gonna do at this point as a coach? Are you honestly two games into the playoffs? If anybody out there has coached, … Your best players need to know that the coach has their back when the chips are down.”
Gregor stressed the mental side of playoff hockey and said elite players need reassurance when things are not working.
“It’s easy to play guys when things are going well,” Gregor said. “Coaching when things are going bad now, it’s a lot more psychological, and you have to find a way to get McDavid to just exhale. Just breathe. Be like, ‘Connor, we know you’re skilled. You don’t have to force passes. Just hold on to it.’”
Meanwhile, Anaheim has shown a precise defensive plan. The Ducks have clogged passing lanes and used multiple defenders to limit McDavid’s space. That pressure forced a costly turnover in Game 2, leading to a short-handed goal in a 6-4 loss.
“I give the Ducks credit,” Gregor said. “They’re in some good areas, but they weren’t in a good area on that goal, make no mistake. There was no – you wanna dump that, well just dump it behind your net, and you go and regroup. You don’t dump it cross ice to no one.”
Connor McDavid is still invested in the series
Despite the struggles, McDavid is still logging over 24 minutes and has shown resilience. He briefly left Game 2 after a collision but returned and played for a little over 24 minutes. That issue was minor and hopefully not a concern moving forward.
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba (65) tries to tie up the stick of Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
The Oilers now head into Game 3 with the series tied 1-1. Teammate Leon Draisaitl has contributed offensively, but Edmonton’s power play remains quiet. Remind you, this team was ranked 1st on power play during the regular season, with a 30.6% success rate.
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So, for the Oilers, the path forward likely depends on their captain rediscovering rhythm. If McDavid relaxes and plays freely, Edmonton’s offense could quickly shift the balance in this series.
